Salem Falls

Everything was melting into total chaos.

Color was everywhere. The translucent blues of water. The flaming red tongues of flames. The blurred greens and browns of shooting branches and leaves flying through the air. Cries and screams pierced the air in a haunting song of the battle around them, jarring each move as each side sprang into action.

It’s hard to be brave while watching everyone you love fight to their possible death – Evelyn was finding this out quickly as her father fought back a ring of flames with a burst of water pulled straight from the torridity that hung in the air, as her mother warded off a series of attacks before distributing a potion to Niall’s mother, as Niall himself fought beside Siren, finally finding themselves on the same side. All she could do was try her hardest not to look and instead focus on the fact that they must have felt the same way – after all, her life was just in much in danger as theirs was.

Another member of the clan collapsed to the ground, torso scorched by a lick of black fire. Evelyn broke from her lick of fear to run to them and do what she did best, heal.

She just had to try and heal. Her friends and her family – she had to heal them as best she could. For those who she couldn’t heal anymore: for Ezra, and for all the other Naveed and his followers had killed.

“Evelyn!” Gloria Transem gasped as Evelyn placed her hands on her badly burned chest, wound already festering and raw, blood blooming right through the charred edges of her white robe. “Work fast!”

Evelyn knew that though they outnumbered those that they fought against, the tides could change quickly and they needed every member fighting if possible. Before Gloria had even finished speaking, Evelyn was already murmuring the words to the healing spells to get her back on her feet, the words rolling off her tongue like they were simply her breath. She watched as the skin began to meld itself back together and the blood receded back into the wounds, the scent of seared skin slowly fading. Before she could even remove her hands, Gloria was back on her nimble old feet, running back into battle.

As people fell injured, Evelyn ran to them, healing them as she went. She tried to stay under the radar as much as possible, giving herself time to work her magic on them as fully and strongly as possible. In between, she shot spells out to try to guard those she loved. It was strange, finding herself using magic after not having it for so long. It fell from her fingers so easily then. In that moment, she almost wished that she could thank Louis for bringing it out of her.

She wished that she could say a lot of things to Louis, now that she was faced with death. She wished she could kiss him one last time, to say she wanted to be with him – truly, she did, but she was just trying to keep him safe.
“Evelyn,” Niall’s mother breathed from her spot against the tree at the edge of the clearing where Evelyn tried to inconspicuously heal a gushing gash along the curve of her torso. It wasn’t until then that Evelyn realized that she was crying – full blown tears streaming down her cheeks as she murmured the incantations to heal her best friend’s mother.

“I’m sorry,” Evelyn replied briefly before returning to her murmurs.

Niall’s mother reached up through a shudder of pain to grasp the amethyst crystal that hung from Evelyn’s neck, the same one she wore every day since her mother had given it to her. She smiled as she ran her fingers against the somehow warm surface, and Evelyn could feel her pulse emanating through the stone.

“It’ll be okay,” she stated confidently, her voice growing in strength as her wound began to disappear. “You were born for this. Your mum and I knew from the moment we saw you.”

And just as the hope and confidence grew in Evelyn’s chest, a ray of red light shot just past her head. She whipped around to see Naveed standing just meters from them at the edge of the clearing, his eyes bright with anger and hatred. A chill ran down her spine at rapid fire as she pulled herself from Niall’s mom and urged her to go.

“Now now, Evelyn,” the voice came from his lips, sending her blood to the brink of iciness. “I’ve been watching you. It seems you finally found your powers, didn’t you?”

She could feel the anger sparking in her fingertips. This was the man who had killed Ezra. Who had tried to kill Louis. Who was trying to kill them all. She didn’t spread her lips to speak – not once, not even for a moment. Instead, she stared him down with all the fearsomeness in her heart, hoping for a miracle.

“It’s too bad that you won’t get another chance to use them.”

Then, another voice came. “Evelyn!”

Her heart ceased to beat in her chest, if even for a moment only. Breaking through the ethereal seal of the clearing came Louis, bewildered and somehow determined. What was he doing here? A flurry of emotions came to her all at once – happiness for seeing him again, anger for his coming, disbelief at his appearance, fear for his life.

Her lips spread to call back out to him, to tell him to leave, but before she could, an angry sigh came from Naveed’s lips. Without another word, Louis collapsed to the ground. Not with a bang, but with a whisper.

Evelyn couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t do anything. All she could do was stare at his lifeless body for what felt like eons, her mind reeling at the sight. A cry broke out from beside her, and numbly she glanced to see her father advance and attack on Naveed, distracting him from her if only for a moment only. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, knowing she may not have much time.

She was beside Louis in seconds, her eyes scanning across his face. Not a sign of life was left in his bright blue eyes, his cheeks were entirely wiped of color, his broad chest no longer rose and fell in that rhythmic motion that rocked her to sleep. Spells spilled from her lips as her hands explored his body freely, desperately trying to get something to work. Something had to work. But as the seconds ticked past, she realized nothing was working. He was lost.

“No!” she finally called out, her voice breaking with the anguish she felt. “No!”

Her voice shook with the tears. She sobbed and she heaved until her throat felt like it was going to close. Louis. Sweet Louis who tried so hard to be tough around her, sweet Louis who had been with her through all of those dark days. Suddenly taken by the dark days in a heap at her side. It was all her fault.

“Evelyn!” another voice called out to her. She glanced up to see Siren, running past her through the field. “We need you!”

She glanced up to see several more wounded – burns, possessed eyes, deep bleeding gashes, injuries only her magic could heal. Instantly, she knew that she had to leave Louis. He was lost to her. He was gone. Her heart heaved at the thought of leaving him, that maybe, if she could just stay by him for a little bit longer, if she just tried a little harder…

But instead, she pressed one last kiss to his cold lips and went back out into battle.